The present invention relates to a method and system for monitoring and enhancing computer-assisted performance, particularly in a business terminal, such as a retail point-of-sale terminal or a financial automated teller machine (ATM).
Many businesses rely on their employees interacting with computerized business terminals, such as point-of-sale terminals or inventory control terminals, to complete transactions with customers. The computerized business terminals often have customized applications and user interfaces which vary from business to business. The workers often are not very knowledgeable about the computer systems in general and particularly a business' customized applications and interfaces.
For example, at Christmas time, retail outlets typically hire temporary customer service representatives, clerks or other workers to handle increased business. These temporary workers are often not familiar with the work to be performed and additionally are not familiar with the customized computer-based systems of the business, such as the point-of-sale equipment. Training of these temporary workers is expensive and time-consuming. Many times the temporary workers only receive between two and eight hours of training, and the training occurs remote from the actual floor or service area where the worker will be stationed. After this meager training, the temporary workers are stationed "on the floor" and expected to provide high quality service to the customer. The temporary workers can easily become frustrated and high turnover may result.
Similarly, customers of banks or other financial institutions are expected to interact with financial automated teller machines (ATMs) with little or no training. Some customers have little previous experience with the computer-based systems and do not find the interfaces very user-friendly. These customers may avoid using the ATMs and instead require the financial institution to provide services via a live teller, increasing costs.
Computer-assisted learning systems used as educational tools to help students with traditional learning activities are known. These learning systems often provide feedback to help a student learn, based on input from the student. These systems may even adjust the presentation of material to help the student learn if built-in testing indicates that the student has not mastered the desired concept. However, these systems are designed to teach new concepts to a certain level of expertise and then move on to other new concepts rather than to increase proficiency with standard, customized interfaces in a business environment.
It is also known to provide varying levels of information to users based on their skill level with a particular system such as a word processing system. However, the varying levels of information are provided in discrete levels such as for beginning or advanced users so that all parameters of the interface are adjusted based on the discrete level assigned to the user.
It is also known to provide simulated work problems on a computer-based system, but these systems are designed to train workers who will be using the system for a relatively long period of time and will gradually master different aspects of the system over the period of work. Since these systems are not provided while a worker is performing actual work or a customer is performing an actual financial transaction at an ATM, they do not help a new worker quickly succeed in the on-the-job work environment or the customer succeed with the generally cheaper-to-operate ATM. Therefore, whenever a new worker or a new customer is required to interact with the system, training expense and loss of productivity or efficiency occurs.
There is a need to provide a method and apparatus for monitoring and enhancing computer assisted performance, particularly in interactions with a business terminal, such as a retail point-of-sale terminal or an ATM.